Span to Nationals in trade

Thursday on Reds.com/MLB.com, I wrote a story about the Reds needs heading into next week’s Winter Meetings now that Jonathan Broxton was signed. Click here to read it.

Of course, the primary need is a leadoff hitter for the team that had the second-best record in baseball last season. Well, the team that had the best record in baseball just scored one as the Nationals traded for CF Denard Span. Only one Minor Leaguer went back to Minnesota in the deal, but it was a very coveted one in RHP Alex Meyer, Washington’s No. 2 prospect and No. 50 overall.

Meyer was in Class A ball last season and not big league ready. The Twins are desperate for Major League pitching….and the Reds have some young pitching talent that is closer to being ready for the Majors. Twins GM Terry Ryan and his people must have really liked Meyer to make the deal for him.

I figure free agents Michael Bourn, Angel Pagan, and possibly Shane Victorino to be too expensive for the Reds. Span was someone they pursued before the Trade Deadline and couldn’t get. I hadn’t heard his name connected to Cincinnati at all in the off-season though. Either way, the board of possiblities seems to be dwindling before the Winter Meetings has even started…but there is a long off-season left and possibilities.

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22 Comments

I’m amazed that a Mike Leake + Chris Heisey wouldn’t have gotten them Span. Heck, tossing in an A ball pitcher would have been okay too. I felt he was the best CF option that they had the potential to get and also be able to afford. Anyone else out there that they could get who can get on base not named Victorino, Pagan, or Bourn?

The reds don’t need a lead off hitter. They have one on the team now. BP. And one in waiting. Hamilton. They need a right handed or switch hitting enforcer between Bruce and votto. Go cheap for center. Sign Grady Sizemore. Low risk high reward. Can lead off. If he returns to anywhere near form hell be better than Stubbs. If not Hamilton will be ready before the season is out. Use the trade chips and free agent money to get a legit young cleanup hitter and pitching or bring back lludwick.

Why does everybody think that Hamilton is the sure fire answer?? He is at least 1-2 years away and there is no guarantee that he can even hit major league pitching. I hope he can, but the window to win a WS is a small one and the Reds need to go forward to win this season. Each year they wait is another year that BP and Votto get older and another chance for injury. Also, BP is not a lead off hitter, he is much better hitting in the #2 slot. Bringing back Ludwick at 35 years old is a gamble considering he only has 2 good years on his resume. How about this: trade for 3B Chase Headley, move Frazier to left and either teach Stubbs how to bunt or sign/trade for a CF. And most of all do not move Chapman to the rotation, he is the best and most dominate RP in the game!

I wasn’t saying BP is a lead off hitter. I said he can lead off. He’s way more suited to bat 2 or behind Bruce. I’m from Dayton and been following Billy Hamilton long before most reds fans heard the name. He may not hit major league pitching but the guy is hungry and ready to go and a sure fire offensive improvement over Stubbs just on the virtue that he realizes his job is to get on base. I’d love to trade for headly, but judging from the reports I heard last year they’d want a latos like package for him, so we’d probably have to give up Frazier. Ludwick is by no means a long term solution in left but the guy was made to hit in great American and would offer Bruce some serious lineup protection if headly could be obtained. I still like the idea of signing Sizemore on the cheap. He leads off bats left plays great D and if he gets hurt again he wouldn’t cost a fortune. Sign him regardless of who you pick up for insurance. And I totally agree. Chapman needs to close period.

Dexter Fowler! He’s the guy the Reds should be targeting, much better power than Span, as good or better defensively, and under contract just as long. Mike Leake & Heisey or Stubbs plus a prospect should get it don1

I find it really disappointing. A missed opportunity for the Reds. It is as if we cannot or will not compete in the free agency market. If that is the case the Reds should lose their franchise and move out of the city. Sorry to say it, I love the Reds but if we can’t compete on equal ground with other teams then we will just turn into their farm system for the likes of the cardinals, national, phillies, dodgers and giants.

Dale, cmon man, you can’t be serious. I think everything the Reds are doing is perfect. We got our closer, we will give Chapman a shot at the rotation, and we’ll get our guys in the outfield. It’s freaking November and we still have the same team that won 97 games from last year, minus Ludwick, for now.
Curt

Curt, I have always respected your opinion but the Reds just lost the best closer in baseball by sending Chapman to the rotation. Broxton has nice numbers on paper but I guess I am the only one that sees this guy as a liability. Everyone else is improving and I don’t see the Reds getting any better only more desperate.
My interest in baseball has been waning over the years ever since free agency destroyed the big red machine, and then foolish management firing Sparky. I got excited again when Pete took over the Reds and showed he was the making of a great manager as everyone expected. Of course MLB took that joy away from me he would have went down as one of the greatest managers of all time too. Early 90’s our dominate bullpen and the scrappy players like Larkin, Sabo, and Davis was a blast to watch but then our crazy owner blew that away with her craziness. I lost interest completely and turned off during the steroid era and only got back into the Reds with the emergence of our young farm system. Jocketty is a genius and Dusty did his best with some players with some serious limitations.
From my standpoint I”m about ready to tune out again for another 10 years and hopefully by then their will be equality in baseball similar to the NFL. Peace out. I think this will be my final comment on Mark My Word, time for me to unsubscribe I think.

Curt, completely agree. I am not over stressed and never have been about a leadoff hitter. Just stick someone there. Its the most over rated batting position. And I applaud the Reds for not over trading or over spending for this position when you have Hamilton in the wings.

So it looks like the Twins were looking for a Robert Stephenson or Tony Cingrani. Thank you Walt for not doing this. No way on this earth is Span worth that price. Way over valued. This may be Walts best move of the off season.

Dexter Fowler is someone I’d forgotten about. I have faith in Walt to do the right things for the club. So besides Fowler, and the known free agent options, any other thoughts about LF/CF leadoff hitting candidates?

For those that don’t think leadoff is important, I disagree. Not having enough contact hitters was the key thing the Reds lacked this year ahead of big hitters. BP is NOT the ideal leadoff hitter for this team. I say NOT because he should really be hitting in the 2 hole. This club will be very dangerous with a decent leadoff hitter sitting in front of BP, Votto, Frazier, Bruce. I think getting that guy – and Fowler would be nice – is definitely more important than a power bat. That said, it would be great to see a trade for Fowler and a resigning of Ludwick. Hey I can dream can’t I?

I wonder if we can go for Ellsbury. We would be buying low and may not have to give up one of our big three pitchers. But that is a lot of money to take on. I would be very happy with just going after Sizemore and resign Ludwick. I hate to think that between Sizemore, Stubbs, and Heisey they cant do better than last years numbers.

I’ve been saying Fowler for awhile now but I realize that it would be a longshot. The Rockies are rebuilding so they would take young guys. Give them Billy, Stephenson, and Hoover. Who cares, Masset can replace Hoover, or heck, anyone can. Stephenson may never make it, and even if he does, he’s four years away, and we need guys now. And Billy, well, I just don’t look at him the same way everyone else does. I see him as a Coc Crisp type guy. Fast, will get on base, but if he a game changer every game? No. Can you put someone else out there to do about the same thing? Yes. Look at these teams that use to win back in the day. They had great defensive shortshoops and great defensive centerfielders. Didn’t matater what they hit or where they hit, they played D. So if we had Stubbs next year batting 8th, I would have no problem with that.
Curt

you dont trade 2 top 50 including 1 top 15 players in the minors for a leadoff hitter from Coors field. He is worth one pitcher if that is what they are looking for. The last thing this team needs is to go crazy destroying their minor league system. Walt made his big deal last year, just sign someone simple and lets move on from this issue.

Do not trade Hamilton or Corcino no matter what! The Rockies have been rumored for several months to be ready to move Fowler, they have depth at the OF positions. I hope WJ will be talking to them at the winter mtgs this week! We have decent young chips…some MLB ready and some a yr or 2 away. But they are blocked by guys who are signed so why not use them to get a switch hitting cf who could hit 15-18 hr’s @ GABP and steal 20 – 30 bases plus play great D?!? Fowler is the guy they should be targeting!

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